Euthanasia is from the Greek word for ‘good death’ or ‘dying well’. It means ‘Ending a person’s life painlessly, as an act of kindness, especially in a case of incurable and painful illness.'
Euthanasia is best explained through case studies because this exposes the human aspect of suffering and goes beyond the application of rules. Tony Bland was a football supporter at Hillsborough who lived in PVS until his family sought permission from the courts for feeding to be withdrawn so he could be allowed to die. Annie Lindsell suffered from a degenerative muscle wasting disease and applied to the courts to be allowed to die when she became incapable of moving (She died before this was necessary).
There are several ways in which euthanasia can be carried out:
∙ Suicide: A person knows that they have a painful terminal (Will end in death) disease and commit suicide to give themselves a quiet and easy death.
∙ Assisted suicide: A person has such a painful terminal disease that they cannot obtain the means for suicide, so they ask someone to give them the means to commit suicide.
∙ Voluntary euthanasia: A person with a painful terminal disease who, unable to do anything for themselves, ask someone else to kill them painlessly e.g. A doctor gives them a lethal dose of painkillers.
∙Non-voluntary euthanasia: A person is not kept alive because they are regarded as having a life worse than death, but cannot make any decisions for themselves e.g. Babies born with abnormalities and in great pain; people on life support machines who are ‘Brain-stem dead’; people in comas who have to be fed intravenously.
∙ Not striving to keep alive: The idea used in medicine is that if a person is suffering from a terminal illness, everything possible should be done to support them, after this they should be given painkillers. But if, for example, they have a heart attack, you do not need to go through the resuscitation procedures. This is a very ‘grey’ area in British law and many doctors argue that they have to strive to keep people alive otherwise they are actually, in effect, killing them themselves.
∙ Living will: when someone makes a will that states that if they become terminally ill and unable to make decisions for themselves, they want to be given a painless death to relieve them of their suffering. These wills are recommended by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society for those who do not want to live for years in pain, distress, or on a life support machine.
∙ Double effect: The same idea is used in abortion. It is all right to give a patient drugs to relieve their pain, knowing that they will kill them over a period of time, because your aim is to relieve the pain, not kill them. It is usually claimed that this is very different from giving them one dose of painkillers sufficient to kill them straight away.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that
“Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted.”
This is saying that even if a person is terminally ill, euthanasia should not be carried out and they should be cared for as normal.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states
“Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists of putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. This is an act or omission, which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering, constitutes a murder greatly contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his creator.”
This is the teaching of the church on euthanasia.
In it’s document ‘The declaration on procured abortion’, published in 1974, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion is never acceptable, except when both the mother and the baby will die if the pregnancy continues (Then abortion becomes on operation to save life, rather than take it). Humana vitae 1968 states that
“Human life is sacred-all men must recognize that fact”
The teaching is based on the belief that all life is sacred. It is a gift from God and no one has the right to take life except God. Life begins at the moment of conception and everyone has a right to life, and life only ends in death, which is at God’s mercy. The Second Vatican Council says
“I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral.”
Modern churches must live with scientific progress and the second Vatican Council concluded
“God, the lord of life, has entrusted to man the noble mission of safeguarding life…life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception. Abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.”
This shows that the church does not accept or support abortion. The mother has no more rights than the foetus in her womb, so Roman Catholics consider abortion to be murder.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion is wrong, though Catholics should not condemn ant women who have abortions, but instead they should be actively involved in offering practical help in changing the law on abortion. Mother Theresa, who also opposed abortion, once said
“If you do make a mistake, don’t destroy the life…because also to that child God says-I have called you by your name; I have carved you in the palm of my hand-you are mine.”
Two anti-abortion groups are SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child), and life. Not all members are Catholic. The church teaches that life is precious. Jeremiah 1 verse 5 quotes
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you came to birth, I consecrated you”
This quote from Jeremiah is saying that life starts at conception, not at 24 weeks.
Euthanasia itself is never mentioned in the bible. Supporters would quote some of Jesus’ basic teachings,
The golden rule – ‘Do to others what you would have them do to you’. Also, the second great commandment ‘You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself’. If you love the person enduring excruciating pain, the argument goes, you would want to end that friends suffering.
However, some Christians believe that all human life is sacred and that it is wrong to kill another person. Many doctors feel strongly against euthanasia. Their mission in life is to give health or ease pain, not to end life.
So, I have shown that a lot of Catholics believe that a woman has a right to choose what she does with her own body and that people should be allowed to choose when to end their own suffering because it is their own life so they should be able to do what they wish with it by using any form of euthanasia. However, it is in the teachings of the Catholic Church that abortion and euthanasia are morally wrong and unacceptable. Catholics regard assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia as wrong because they are all forms of murder. People are taking upon themselves God’s role, which is a grave sin. It is up to God to decide when to take a person’s life, and humans should not interfere with that process.
Christians should not accept abortion or euthanasia except in extreme cases because it would be against the church’s teaching to do otherwise. They would state one of the bibles most important commandments
“Do not kill”
